English Literature

[Muskaan]

Hello people

I'm an English literature student. After a month I'm supposed to attend B.A honors comprehensive exams. We don't know what we are supposed to be studying before our exam I'm afraid so afraid


well, today finally someone told me that the exam will include a question about poets. of course English poets.

They'll mention some poems; and we'll have to tell who wrote this poem...

we haven't studied so many poems

I m here to ask, is there any special writing style for some poets that I shall keep in mind and tell yeah 'HE' wrote 'THIS' poem.

any idea? I'm so confused

[LitNetIsGreat]

Hi, that sounds a little unusual, but at the same time it the bit about trying to work out the poet comes across to me as quite fun - though I'm reading that you don't see it that way. Obviously I don't know the details of your course etc, etc, so any advise from anyone is in the dark, but it sounds to me like you couldn't go far wrong with getting some obvious poets and poems under your belt and a feel for the differences in language between them - especially if you say that you've not studied many poems.

If I was you my plan of attack would be to read a few from the likes of Sidney, Spenser, Shakespeare, Jonson, Milton, Marvell, Donne, Dryden, Pope, The Romantics, (Blake, Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron, Keats) Browning, Burns, Tennyson, Owen etc, etc, just get an idea for some of the main poems and styles, as much as you have time for.

On a positive, I hardly think that they are going to spring up some unknown poet(s) on you, there likely to be pretty mainstream. I can see them selecting poets from across different periods. I'm guessing that you'll probably start with a Shakespeare sonnet on move forward from there. Start by looking at a few of his sonnets if you haven't already and move through the list above and fill in the gaps.

Don't panic, it sounds really good. Let us know how you get on.

Edit: oh and most obviously start with the poets that you did look at, as it is a sure thing that they will appear in one form or another.